The emerging Kellet's Whelk fishery

The emerging Kellet's Whelk fishery

One project I've been
pursuing is trying to understand potential impacts of the emerging Kellet's
whelk fishery in California and using the system to explore the potential for
spatial management of fisheries.

Kellet’s whelk (Kelletia
kelletii) is a common species of carnivorous snail found in the eastern
Pacific Ocean from Monterey to Baja, California. It's normally found in
kelp beds and on nearshore reefs. Kellet’s whelk prey on important grazers of
algae and kelp, such as snails, and their feeding activity has been identified
as an important factor in regulating the abundance of multiple species.

Kellet’s whelks are also the basis for a burgeoning fishing industry. Fishermen
are catching them as bycatch from their lobster and crab traps, meaning they
didn't intend to catch the whelks. However, once they are caught they can
be sold in farmers markets and fish markets.

In order to better understand the demographics of the fishery (meaning the
number taken, size and sex of the whelks, and other factors), we are working
with local fishermen and farmer’s markets in three regions (Santa Barbara, Los
Angeles, and San Diego) to conduct bimonthly surveys that will provide
information on the current state of the fishery and how harvesting relates to
and impacts natural population dynamics. Data may offer insight on better harvesting
strategies, such as avoiding reproductive seasons or focusing harvesting
pressure during times when the proportion of consumable mass is the highest.